Folding crate.



M. A. KERBY.

FOLDING CRATE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1912. RENBWED 11111.29, 1914.

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M. A. KERBY. FOLDING CRATE. APPLICATION FILED 11111.25, 1912. RENEWED JAN.29,1914.

1,1 10,060, Patented Sept.8,1914.

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UNTED STATES PATENT FFCF.

MARSHALL A. KERBY, OF FLORENCE, ALABAMA.

FOLDING CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented Sept. 6, 19141.

Application le. January 25, 1912, Serial No. 673,316. Renewed `arniafy 29,1914. Serial No. 815,289.

To all 'whom it may concern v Be it known that l, MARSHALL A. Knur, a citizen of the United States, residing at Florence, in the county of Lauderdale and` State of Alabama-,have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Crates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to folding crates and the like, and has for its object to provide a cheap construction of such anarticle as well as to effect an economy of space in its folding, and securement in open and closed positions.

It is also an object to arrange the device to present a symmetrical form when closed, so that in the stacking of the folded devices an additional economy of space will be attained.

It is an object to permit folding of the crate without movement thereof from its base, and without any of the folding parts projecting at any time beyond the symmetrical boundaries of the device.

Broadly, the folding action of my crate is somewhat similar to that shown in the patents to Schlueinbach, No. 694,791, and Mary, No. 890,525, with which I am familiar, and it is an object of my invention to effect an improvement over these devices.

The return of empty crates used for the shipment of fruits, vegetables, bread, fowl, and other products involves the use of thousands of cars, so that the difference of a few inches in the size of the folded crate means a corresponding difference of thousands of dollars in the expense of shipment. The principle of folding of the Schluembach and Mary crates is desirable because of the facility with which they may be handled, and because the liability of improper folding is obviated by the peculiar relation of the parts, and damage in handling and shipment largely avoided. But these crates do not fold as compactly as might be, and it is an important aim of my invention to save some of the space occupied by these devices when folded, the difference in the case of the Schluembach device as shown in the patent amounting to a saving of approximately one-third the space, or, the elimination of the expense of one car out of every three in freighting.

Another important object is to provide a 'sliding connection on the top section with two side elements allowing pivotal movement thereof, and adaptedr in addition to serve to hold pivoted end sections in erected position, to lock the crate as a whole in open position, and to secure the parts in folded position against casual opening.

@ther objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, inwhich,

Figure 1 is a top plan of the crate, Fig. 2

is a longitudinal section thereof in erected.4

form,-Fig. 3 is .a similar view showing the folded position, Fig. 4t is a horizontal section showing the device infolded position, Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, Fig. 6 isia similar view showing the crate folded, Fig. Tis a similar view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the bolt 20, and Fig. 9 is a detail view of a modified form of this bolt.

There is illustrated a crate comprising the rectangular top and bottom sections 10 and 1l respectively, the top comprising the side stringers 12, middle stringer 13, end pieces 11 and transverse slats 15, while the bottom includes similar side stringers 12 and lend pieces 111', a central cross piece 16 and longitudinal slats 17. The bottomis a vtrifle shorter than the top for a reason to be made apparent. The slats ofthe top are supported by the stringers, while' those of lthe bottom are carried by the cross pieces.

Flach of the cross pieces of the top are provided with two slots therethrough extending from near each end to within a short vdistance of their middles. At each corner of the bottom there are mortised and secured in the ends of the cross pieces short studs 18, forming pivot ears for the sides now to be described. Corner posts v19 are suitably mortised at their lower ends to fit upon the studs with their outer sides toward the ends of the crate disposed in alinement or slightly inward of the inner sides of the end pieces of the top, and are connected pivotally to the studs in a suitable way, whereby they may fold downward closely against the end pieces of the bottom and be received within those of the top. Revolubly engaged through the upper ends of the posts 19 there are guide bolts 2O projected also outwardly through the slots in the cross pieces 111-, whereby the top is supported. Thus when the upper ends of the corner posts are forced inwardly, the top is allowed to drop snilgly over the bottom section, and the posts 19 are of such thickness and the bolts 2O are so spaced therein that a space .is left 'between the posts and the slats of the top, within 4which space are accommodated longitudinally extending slats 22 se cured upon the posts and forming the sides of the crate. hfliddle posts 19 may be attached to the side slats centrally thereof and pivoted or not upon studs 1S on the middle cross piece of the bottom, if found desirable, and tho upper ents of these posts may or may not be secured detachably to the side stringcrs of the top as at 22, for the principal purpose of the middle posts is to more securely retain the contents of the crate, and this would be attained without securement of th-e post at top or bottom, for it will bear against the respective side stringere and thereby be held against outward movement. Hinged to the end pieces of the bottom close to their lower edges in such a way as to be movable into vertical position thereaboye and flush therewith, there are bars 24e having suitable 'battons or slats 26 secured theren between whereby the ends of the crate are formed. lflf'hen folded inwardly these ends lie closely against the bottom slats, as in Fig. 3.

The guide bolts 20 project outwardly of the cross pieces, are threaded and provided with suitable crank and wing nuts 2i' and 27', and at their inner ends are provid-ed with laterally extending arms or heads 28, slightly recurved at their extremities as at By reason of being freely rev oluble in the posts 19 and also slidable therethrough, when the ends are 'aised into position, the heads may be forced slightly inward and turned laterally over the bars.

elf; and by then tightening the nuts the crate is held `firmly in open position. The sides are held against inward movement by the inter-position of the ends in addition to the clamping action of the nuts, and the head of the bolt Q0 :forms a secure means for retaining' the ends in vertical position in the crate.

ll'hcu the crate is folded the nuts are loosened, the head of the bolts turned from over the 'bars of the ends, and the ends allowed to fall inward upon the floor of the crate. The upper parts ott the sides are then forced inward, which will let the top fall upon the bottom, the sides being re ceived within the stringers and cross pieces of the top. rlhe top will be held positively in registry with the bottom by engagement of the bolts Q0 against the inner ends of the slots 17a. When the device is completely folded, it will be seen that. the heads of the bolts QG may be engaged across the end pieces 18, and the nuts tightened to hold the crate rigidly in folded position.

In Fig, 9 there is illustrated a modiieation of the means for securing the bolt 20, which consists in forming a bolt 20 having a head 28 similar to that 28 before described, but the shank 30 is considerably shorter7 and is not threaded. Around the shank and against the cross piece of the top there is disposed a cup-washer 31, and se cured upon the end of the shank there is al knob 32 between which and the washer the' 'i is confined a helical spring 233, holding the bolt at the outer limit of its increment, and with the head 28 pressed tightly against whatever may be thereunder. The device is adjusted by simply pressing upon the knob against the action of the spring, which allows the head 28 to be turned, and that may also be accomplished by means of the knob. The cup portion of the washer prevents the knob from being accidentally operated, and while slight ini. 7ard movement of the ends is permitted when pressed upon, this could not release them. Such movement would seldom occur and then would probably have no ill eidect.

A portion of number of the central slats of the top is cut out at one side as at 3d to form an access opening, and secured over the inner projecting ends and to the immediately adjacent uncut slats on each side there is a hatten Beneath this and reciprocable in the spaces between the slats under the batten there are slats or bars 3G, connected adjacent their ends by thin bars of metal 37, resting upon the uncut slats at each side of the opening, whereby 'the bars are supported and held in position to form a sliding door, and the ends of the bars are bent downwardly and inwardly under the supporting uncut slats, whereby the door is held against being lifted out of place. lThe door is moved inwardly to open7 and is checked by engagement of the outer metal bar 37 against the hatten 55, at the innerI limit of its movement. At the outer limit of its movement, it is stopped. by engagement of the inturned ends of the bar 37 against the adjacent side Stringer, and to hold it in closed position a suitable latch is located on one of the supporting strips 3S, to engage the adjacent end of the bar 3'? against inward movement. This latch is in the form of a leaf spring secured by one end flush with the surface of the stat and inclining therefrom away from the slat and toward the adjacent side of the crate. nt a point spaced sufficiently from the side Stringer to accommodate the end of the bar 37, the end of the spring is turned inwardly into a recess 40 in the slat. The recess is sufiiciently deep to allow the spring to be pressed flatly against the surface of the slat to allow the bar 37 to slide thereover when it is desired to open the door of the crate, and it will be apparent that the door may be very easily operated.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a crate possessing a maximum strength is provided, which folds into four directly superposed strata of elements, with practically no wasted space.

What is claimed is:

l. A crate of the class described comprising a top section including end pieces projecting downwardly therefrom, and having longitudinal slots therein, a bottom section having sides including corner posts pivoted thereon inwardly of the end piece of the top and adapted to fold into parallel relation to the bottom and within the top, guide means carried by the upper ends of the posts and slidable in the slots, end members pivoted on the bottom foldable closely thereagainst and movable to erect position between the sides, and means to secure the parts in erected position.

2. A crate of the class described comprising a top section including` side stringers, a middle Stringer and end cross pieces having longitudinal slots therein, a bottom section including side stringers, end cross pieces and an intermediate cross piece, transverse slats on the top and longitudinal slats on the bottom, end members pivoted on the bottom to fold closely thereagainst between the intermediate and respectively adjacent outer cross pieces, side members pivoted on the bottom within the side stringers of the top, and above the pivots of the end members and adapted to fold into parallel relation with the bottom thereover, guide members carried by the side members and engaged in the slots of the cross pieces of the top, said sides being of a length to fit within the cross pieces of the top, and means to secure the parts in erected position.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with the top having guide slots, and the bottom having pivoted sides and ends, of guide and clamping members carried by the sides each comprising a shank portion revoluble in the side members and slidable in the slots and a laterally extended head portion inwardly thereof adapted to be turned laterally to engage over the end members, and means for drawing the head outwardly and securing it against the end for retention thereof against inward movement.

t., ln a device of the class described, the combination with a top having transverse guide slots at the ends, a bottom, side members pivoted thereon, and end members pivoted on the bottom between the side members and adapted to be elevated between the side members at times; of guide and clamp members carried by the sides and slidable in the slots, and comprising each a threaded shank portion engaged revolubly in the end of one side and projected slidably through one of the slots, a laterally turned head portion on its inner end adapted to engage inwardly of and transversely of the adjacent edge portion of an end member to hold it against inward movement, and means for securing the clamp members in engaged position.

5. In a crate of the class described, a top including end cross pieces having slots longitudinally thereof extending therethrough, a bottom including end cross pieces within those on the top, end members hinged on the bottom and adapted to be positionedv above the adjacent cross pieces and against the cross pieces on the top, and side members pivoted on the bottom, their ends lying with the cross pieces of the top, adapted to receive the end members therebetween when elevated, and adapted to fold thereover and upon the end cross pieces of the bottom, and guide and vclamp members carried by the sides at each end, engaged slidably in the slots of the top pieces each having a 'laterally extended head portion adapted to engage over the bottom cross piece when the device is'folded, and means for securing the guide and clamp members in engaged position.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARSHALL A. KERBY.

lVitnesses E. lV. HENLEY, G. O. BARNES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve' cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, I). U. 

